Snowbird Tram & Hike

Where: Snowbird Resort up Little Cottonwood Canyon

Elevation change: all downhill! Nothing too steep, hiking down switchbacks.

Hiking time: 30-45 minutes

Distance: 0.5 miles

*Cost involved to ride tram- see below

 

UPDATE: Snowbird has changed their policy on riding the Peruvian chair lifts back down. You now have to be 42 inches or taller to ride the lifts down the mountain. Otherwise, you have to take the tram back down.



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More info: Aerial Tram Rides

If you've never been on the Snowbird tram, you need to go! It's pretty amazing. I had only been on it once in elementary school about 20 years ago and thought it might be fun to do it again, this time with my kids.

 

The tram isn't exactly cheap. It's $17 for an adult. But luckily, kids 6 and under are free. Coupons are available sometimes if you Google "Snowbird tram coupon" but the ones I found were for an all-day activities pass which I wasn't interested in. However, if you are going as a family, they have a pretty good deal ($66) for 2 adults and 4 kids that saves you some money.

 

*Snowbird usually has a free-ride day in October with a donation of canned food, so if this is too pricey for you to do in the Summer, wait until Fall and go for free!

 

 



Riding the tram was so fun. The views are just incredible. It's very large so unless it's crowded, there is plenty of space to walk around. The tram ride takes about 10 minutes to get to the top.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We love walking through the 600 foot tunnel through the mountain to get to the other side. The tunnel has picture and artifacts about the history of Snowbird.

 

 

 

Even babies like the view.

Once at the top, the temperature is considerably cooler so make sure you bring jackets! My breath was literally taken away by the views from the top. It was astonishing to see how high we were! The top of the tram is 11,000 feet in elevation.

I truly felt like I was on top of the world! It was so neat to see all the surrounding mountain peaks. 

We went right during Abby's nap time so predictably she fell asleep as soon as I put her in the pack. Her poor head just bobbed as we walked.

 

 

 

Our plan was to ride the tram up to the top, then hike down a short trail to the Peruvian chair lifts and take the chair lifts back down. This was the only "hike" suitable for Eliza so it was perfect.

 

Grandpa brought his GoPro so we put it on Eliza and let her walk around for a minute so we could see the hike from her point of view.

The wildflowers were amazing. They were in full bloom with tons of vibrant colors. These pictures don't do them justice.

 

 

 

 

The peak in the left center of the picture above is called Pfeifferhorn ("Little Matterhorn".) I did that hike several years ago. It's the fifth highest peak in the Wasatch range.

 

There's a close up of Pfeifferhorn peak.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After walking down a trail of switchbacks for about 30 minutes we made it to the Peruvian chair lifts. It was really cool because you enter a tunnel and walk through a long tunnel to get to the chair lift. 

The tunnel was lit and had lots of memorabilia about Snowbird Resort. The picture below shows troops in 1943 practicing skiing in preparation of being deployed to Germany. 

 

 

We made it through the tunnel!

 

 

UPDATE: Snowbird has changed their policy on riding the Peruvian chair lifts back down. You now have to be 42 inches or taller to ride the lifts down the mountain. Otherwise, you have to take the tram back down.

Personally, I'm okay with this policy change because I was always super nervous riding down the chair lift with my baby in arms and a squirmy toddler. So if you have kids who are shorter than 42 inches, you'll need to walk back up to take the tram down, which isn't a big deal, it will require a little more effort on your part though. Or if you have another adult with you, you could always split up and the smaller kids go back down on the tram while an adult takes the older kids down on the chair lifts.

 

 

 

The chair lift ride down took about 10 minutes.

This one fell asleep on the way home. I think that's a pretty good sign that she had a fun time and exhausted herself!

 

Kid-Appropritate Hikes & Trails

 I love getting outdoors with my kids for several reasons:

1. It's a great way to get out of the house

2. It's free!!! Doesn't cost me money to go hiking, if you don't count gas money.

3. It promotes exercise and a healthy lifestyle for my kids.

4. I get some exercise out of it. I'm carrying 20+ pounds on my back plus helping my other child.

5. My children learn to appreciate nature, respect it, and learn from it.

6. I have a better appreciation for my surroundings, and feel rejuvenated after being outdoors, mentally, physically, and emotionally.

7. We get to socialize and make better friends when we invite others to go with us.

Really I could go on and on about how much I love being outdoors with my kids. I started hiking with my kids when they were ages 3 months and 2 years old. Then the Summer of 2014 I made it a goal to go on a weekly hike with my kids. Others in my neighborhood heard about our weekly hikes so I formed a hiking group.

Each hike we went on had to fit several criteria:

- It had to be doable for small children. The kids doing these hikes ranged from age 5 to less than 1.

- Distance could not be too far. All hikes were less than 1.5 miles total, most were about 0.5 miles or less.

- Hiking time had to take about an hour or less. Some hikes took us 15 minutes, others took us an hour or a little longer. Most of the time we make our hikes a half-day adventure because we bring a picnic lunch or really take our time, but in general the hikes can be done in an hour or less.

- Terrain could not be too difficult for a toddler to climb.

Here's a list of toddler-friendly hikes. Click on each link for more information about each hike:

Big Cottonwood Canyon Hikes:

Hidden Falls

Mill B South Interpretive Trail

Stairs Gulch

Silver Lake

Willow Heights

Doughnut Falls

Little Cottonwood Canyon Hikes:

Albion Basin

Snowbird Barrier Free Trail

Cecret Lake

Temple Quarry Trail
Snowbird Tram & Hike

Lisa Falls
Little Cottonwood Creek Trail

Other Hikes:

Lower Bell Canyon Reservoir

Rocky Mouth Trail
Ensign Peak

Battle Creek Falls in Pleasant Grove

*Tips for hiking with small children:

-Always bring water, enough for you and each child.

- Always bring snacks (granola bars, fruit snacks/leather, applesauce pouches, etc.)

- Wear sunscreen and bring hats for sunny weather.

- Wear good shoes! Kids need sturdy shoes to hike in so they aren't getting rocks/sand/dirt in their shoes. Flip flops will not cut it.

- Bring jackets for cooler weather. Often the temperature can drop up in the canyon. It may be 95 degrees in the valley, but 70 degrees in the high canyons.

- Carry a simple first aid kit. I have a small one the size of a pack of cards with basic first aid supplies including band aids. Even a small scrape can ruin a great hiking trip. Be prepared!

-Bring a camera or phone to take pictures! I love capturing fun hiking moments with my kids!

- Always let someone know where you are going! Tell them which hike and which canyon/area.

- Have kids carry their own supplies. I got my 3 year old a pack like this one that included a hydration pack (think camelbak). But you can also buy a small cheap back pack at a thrift store (I see them all the time for $1-$3). It teaches kids responsibility and ownership if they carry their own packs. They don't need to be heavy, often my daughter just wears hers and it has one granola bar in it.

- Final tip........ you can ALWAYS turn back early! I personally like the feeling of achievement from reaching the "end" of a hike. But I also know when to call it quits. It's good to push your child a little bit and help them get the feeling of accomplishing something difficult, but you don't want to push them too far. Go slow; at their pace, encourage them, and keep everyone hydrated while hiking, insist they take sips of water frequently. But don't be afraid to end the hike early if things aren't working out.

My favorite hiking/guide books for the Wasatch Range:
- Falcon Guide Best Easy Day Hikes Salt Lake City
-Moon Take a Hike Salt Lake City
- Hiking the Wasatch by John Veranth (updated version here)

Plus I always "google" the hikes and try to find better directions sometimes. There is ample information on the internet, but I like having books to take with me.